Kneeling pads



June 1s, 1957 s, HAsLE-'TT' KNEELING PADS Filed Hay 10l 1955 CJ FIG. 5 4

Fles

- INVENTOR -ELMER HASLETT ATTORNEY KNEELING PADS Elmer Haslett, Forest Hills, N. Y.

Application May 10, 1955, Serial No. 507,453

8 Claims. (Cl. 2 2) This invention relates to belts to encircle an object, and more particularly to a kneeling pad to encircle and be confined to a human knee.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved belt, which can be easily and quickly applied to encircle an object such as a part of the human body and as easily and quickly removed therefrom which when applied will be securely confined to such object, which utilizes no mechanical or rigid complying means, and which is selectively adjustable in the size of the encircling loop.

Another object is to provide an improved knee pad which can be quickly and easily applied to or removed from ones knee, in a position, when applied, in which one may kneel on it, which, when applied, will remain securely in position for kneeling on it, as the wearer kneels or rises or walks about, which may be instantly uncoupled from the knee, and which will be comfortable to the wearer.

Another object is to provide an improved belt or kneeling pad to accomplish the above objects which will be relatively simple, effective, practical, convenient, comfortable in use, and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of some embodiments of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face elevation of a kneeling pad constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a part of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line A-A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of another part of the same, the section being taken approximately along the line B-B of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a face elevation of a clothing belt also constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional elevations through different parts of the same, the sections being taken respectively along the lines C-C and D-D of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the waist portion of a person wearing the belt shown in Figs. 5 to 8;

Fig. 10 is a view of the knee pad with the closed loop formed by the strap; and

Fig. 1l is an elevation of the knee portion of a person wearing the kneeling pad shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the kneeling pad includes a sheet or plate-like pad of member 1 of flexible material of any kind suitable or desired outline, and a flexible strap 2 attached at one end to one margin of the pad or member, and having a free end. The length of the strap is su'icient to extend around ones knee and approximately across the nited States Patent C F Patented June 18, 1957 ICC pad or member. The pad or member 1 is provided in its interior, between its faces, with a slit 3 which extends lengthwise from the margin of said member that is opposite from that margin to which the strap is attached, towards the anchored end of the strap. The slit opens along one side through the front face of the pad or member 1 and has a width at least as wide as the free end of the strap, or somewhat wider. The slit preferably terminates a little short of the margin to which the strap is attached, and in approximate alignment with the permanently anchored end of the strap.

In use, the pad or member 1 is placed against the front of a lower leg, at its top, with the member 1 extending past the knee joint somewhat, as shown in Fig. 10. The strap is then passed around the back of the leg and pulled taut, with the free end of the strap passing over the front face of the member 1.

While the strap is so held, its free end is passed sidewise into the slit, as shown in Fig. 10 where it is frictionally confined by the pressure thereon of the walls of the slit. This friction is greatly increased by the flexing of the pad or member 1 around the convex front of the leg at the knee, and as one kneels on this pad, the pressure on the pad by the knee, also increases the friction that holds the free end of the strap in the slit. To remove the pad, one merely opens the slit and withdraws the free end of the strap therefrom.

The pad or member 1 is preferably of multi-cellular, elastic material such as cellular rubber, either natural or synthetic, in which the cells are microscopic in size. The cells may be connected with one another so as to be inter-communicating, or, and preferably, the cells are separate and non-communicating. A body with this last mentioned type of cell is sometimes called a multicellular, closed cell body. The cells are cut by the walls of the slit which intersect them, and when the cells are separate and non-communicating with one another, as in a multi-cellular, closed cell type of material, the cut cells along the walls of the slit function like large numbers of very small, vacuum cups that firmly and frictionally hold the free end of the strap is forced into the slit. The slit is preferably closed at the end near the margin of the pad or member where the strap is permanently anchored, so that the slit will not be accidentally opened by pushing when the `device is in use.

The terms'latex and rubber are intended to mean both natural and so called synthetic latex or rubber or rubber equivalents, such as any elastic material having the usual and dominant physical characteristics of natural rubber or latex. Some of the cellular rubbers on the market and which are useful are called foam latex and sponge rubber.

Referring next to Figs. 5 to 9, the member 4 is similar in character to the pad or members, of Figs. 1 to 4, 10 and l1, except that it is elongated in shape and approximately the size of a belt buckle or a little larger. It has a flexible strap 5 secured permanently to one end thereof, and it also has a slit 6 in its interior, corresponding to slit 3 of Figs. 1 to 4, and extending lengthwise thereof and opening through its front face near one side thereof. The free end of the strap may be passed around the body, such as at the waist, and then inserted into the slit 6, in the same manner that the free end of the strap was inserted in slit 3 in the member 1 of Figs. 1 to 4. The strap 5 is confined in the slit 6 in the same manner explained for Figs. l to 4. The member 1 thus functions to couple the ends of the strap, like the buckle of the ordinary belt couples the ends of the usual belt strap.

The strap may be made of any flexible material but it preferably is made of a rubber or a rubber faced strip,

and when the strap 2 or 5 is of cellular, elastic material, the holding friction between the free end of the strap and the walls of the slit is further increased.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of parts, which have `been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A belt comprising a plate-like member of elastic, exible material of sufficient thickness to constitute a substantial cushion, and a flexible ribbon-like strap secured at one end to one margin of said member and having a free end, said member having a slit in its interior extending lengthwise from the margin opposite from said one margin toward, but terminating short of, said one margin and having a width at least about equal to the width of the free end of said strap, said slit opening along one of its sides through a face of said member, and extending in a direction sidewise of itself between and spaced from the faces of said member, said member being multi-cellular with the walls of the slit cutting some of the cells to increase the friction of such walls, whereby when the free end of the strap is inserted into said slit to extend along it, the member and strap will form a closed belt that can encircle a part of the human body and be confined thereto, with the free end of the strap frictionally held in said slit by the exing of said member about axes crosswise of the length of said slit.

2. A pad to be applied to some part of the body, which comprises a plate-like member of elastic, flexible material of substantial thickness, a flexible ribbon-like strap having one end thereof secured to one side marginal portion of said member with its other end free and long enough to encircle said part of the body and its free end meet said member, said member having a slit in and extending across a substantial part of one of its faces from adjacent the edge of the member opposite from said marginal portion toward said marginal portion, said slit extending from said one face within the area between and spaced from the faces in a direction crosswise of its length and having a width within the member sufficient to receive therein a substantial part of the free end of said strap, and frictionally resist its endwise removal therefrom and thus confine said member to said part of the body. v

3. The pad as set forth in claim 2, said pad being formed of cellular material whereby the cells thereof opened by said slit will exert a strong frictional grip on said strap.

4. The pad as set forth in claim 2, said member and at least the free end portion of said strap being formed of multi-cellular material, whereby the cells of said member opened by said slit will exert a strong frictional resistance to sliding movement in the slit of the cellular end portion of said strap when the latter is in said slit.

5. The pad as set forth in claim 2, said slit having a width sidewise of its length approximately equal to the width of the free end f said strap, when the latter is placed edgewise therein to form a loop with said member that can encircle said body part.

6. A kneeling pad to encircle ones leg adjacent the knee, which comprises a plate of multi-cellular elastic, exible material of suiiicient thickness to constitute a cushion, and a ribbon-like strap of flexible material secured at one end to said member adjacent one marginal edge thereof, with its other end free, said member having a slit opening through a face thereof, extending sidewise of its length from said face into the body of the member between and spaced from the faces thereof and at a substantial angle to a normal to said face said slit progressing from adjacent the edge of said member opposite from said one marginalV edge, toward that one marginal edge for a substantial distance, said slit having a width sucient to receive therein and frictionally hold, the free end portion of said strap.

7. The pad as set forth in claim 6, and said strap having at least a substantial length of its free end portion formed of multi-cellular material.

8. A kneeling pad comprising a exible, resilient platelike member of suicient thickness to cushion ones knee substantially when the knee rests thereon, and a flexible ribbon-like strap having one end attached to one marginal edge of said member and its other end free, said member having therein in the interior of a face a slit normally closed by the resiliency of the member, extending from adjacent the marginal edge opposite from said one edge but towards said one edge, said slit opening edgewise lthrough a face of said member and extending from said opening crosswise of its length along the interior of the member between and spaced from the faces of said member, sufficiently to receive edgewise therein and frictionally hold the free end of said strap.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 923,575 Planett et al. June l, 1909 1,868,726 Collier July 26, 1932 1,896,561 Ruth Feb. 7, 1933 1,969,527 Schnellbacher Aug. 7, 1934 2,035,257 Blaser Mar. 24, 1936 

